Upon learning Friday from ThinkProgress that Rush Limbaugh was shilling for the ABC docudrama, “The Path to 9/11,” which will air on ABC on September 10th and 11th, I smelled something rotten emanating from the Mickey Mouse Network. Having worked at Variety years back, I got out the old Rolodex and started making calls and sending emails. By mid-morning yesterday, I’d gotten the name of the exec-in-charge, Steve McPherson, his direct phone line and I’d sent email requests to two ABC flaks and three PR company flaks listed on the movie’s online press release. Later that afternoon, I sent a follow-up note to all five of these folks, repeating my request for a preview copy of the mini-series.

Apparently, it was impossible for all five of these people to answer me during business hours on either the East or West Coast, in order to get me the requested advance copy.

So, let’s review. This very high-profile movie is airing next weekend, and all five of the listed contacts were out all day yesterday, making it impossible to get advance copies? This, after ABC made the mini-series available to a plethora of wing-nut bloggers and media personalities like Mr. Limbaugh? How very, very odd.

These are the exact words that ABC’s Alison Row (not sure that’s the correct spelling, but pronunciation rhymes with “cow”) left on my voicemail at 5:07 pm PT:

"We are certainly happy to send [a copy of "Path to 9/11"] to you. It’s a…there’s no, you know…we’re not sending it to only specific partisan groups, or…um…bloggers who lean a certain political way. We would love to get it to you as well. Unfortunately, everyone is gone today, but we can get it out to you Tuesday for Wednesday."

I’m sure advance copies are currently sitting with reviewers at major MSM outlets, and that they are timing their pieces to run and air closer to the air dates for “Path to 9/11. But with the early advance materials going exclusively to "friendly" right-wing partisan media, ABC was certain to get a first wave of favorable, sycophantic coverage from Limbaugh and the right-wing blogs, to perhaps—wink, wink—influence other reviewers.

ABC claims this is a non-partisan project, but according to Sheldon Rampton over at www.prwatch.org, the screenwriter is an avowed conservative and personal friend of Rush Limbaugh, and the project is fronted by only the Republican chair of the 9/11 Commission.

I ask you, ABC: Where are the Democratic contributors to this “non-partisan” project?

And whose idea was it to send preview copies to right-wing partisan bloggers, while excluding leftist partisans from viewing this “public service” project? Was it your network, or mPRm, the firm you hired to execute the outreach campaign? If it is indeed so non-partisan, why is the Democratic co-chair of the 9/11 Commission not out in front of this thing, giving it his official oky-doky?

And one more question: Is Kean a paid consultant? If so, how much is he now making by trading off his work as a former 9/11 Commission co-chair?

We’ll know more Tuesday, after ABC offers up Thomas Kean in a conference call with reporters on Tuesday. I hope the reporters on that call have the guts to ask the tough questions about ABC’s docudrama

LOL... dude I saw a commercial for this. A woman in ths street crying to the camera "Why would bin Laden do this to us?"

I mean, first, she's making the immediate assumption it was him. Second, she's ignoring the fact that Osama doesn't have the ability to make NORAD stand down. Third, she should know that the men in the planes didn't have time to wire the 3 buildings with explosives before crashing the planes, as they were going 400+ mph and all.

Just propaganda. And it's okay. People are waking up to it. I think that just about anyone who spends 30 minutes looking at the holes in the events of 911 will start to have doubts. No offense to anyone, but you'd have to be a complete idiot, or scared sheep, not to see holes in the official story.

Slaughter Calls for ABC to Come Clean on New 9-11 Docudrama Divisive and Politicized Accounts of September 11th Attacks and National Security Issues Endanger Nation

Washington, DC - Rep. Louise M. Slaughter (D-NY-28), Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee, today called for ABC to make clear to viewers that its upcoming television mini-series The Path to 9/11 is not a documentary account of the events and political decisions that preceded the terrorist attacks of that day.

"ABC has a responsibility to make clear that this film is not a documentary, and does not represent an official account of the facts surrounding the September 11th attacks," Rep. Slaughter said. "Disclaimers noting that The Path to 9/11 is a docudrama should be shown throughout its airing. We have yet to establish the impartiality and accuracy of the people behind this film and the claims it advances, and the American people need to know that."

Rep. Slaughter also expressed concern over the timing of the mini-series, as well as recent Republican rhetoric on the issue of national security and its connection to the war in Iraq.

"But what is far more important is the timing of this movie," Rep. Slaughter continued. "The anniversary of the attacks is an emotional time, and it is wrong for anyone to play on those emotions and use them to advance a political agenda."

"This is, regrettably, what many top Administration officials are doing with the rhetoric we have heard of late," Rep. Slaughter said. "We have been told we are in a fight against a new kind of fascism, and that individuals who question our current path in Iraq are morally equivalent to Nazi appeasers and those who would justify slavery."

"Such claims are more than just morally reprehensible and deeply irresponsible. They are also damaging to our country, making it difficult, if not impossible, to have a serious, non-partisan discussion about how best to protect our nation."

"Democrats have always worked to promote a more peaceful and secure world, and we will continue to do so, regardless of this divisive Republican rhetoric," Rep. Slaughter said.

"The difference between Democrats and Republicans is that we stand for real security: real implementation of the 9-11 Commission's recommendations, a real commitment to securing threats against the homeland, and a real plan for the future American military commitment in Iraq - not just more wishful thinking and empty justifications, which are what this Administration has been content to offer us."

"What America needs is real security based on an honest view of the world and the threats against us, not more divisive, pre-election rhetoric that slanders political opponents while doing nothing to make our nation more secure."

BACKGROUND:

A FILM OF QUESTIONABLE INTEGRITY

Director of The Path to 9/11, billed as "an objective telling of the events of 9/11," admits that film is "not a documentary": The director of the film, David Cunningham, posted on the show's official blog that his work was "not a documentary..." For unexplained reasons ABC has already taken down its blog promoting the show. [Think Progress, 9/2/06]

the path to 9/11 makes numerous questionable claims - such as that the clinton administration passed on a surefire chance to kill or capture bin laden - that have already drawn criticism: Reviews of the film have shown it to contain questionable claims. According the reviewers of the film, who include Richard Clarke, former counterterrorism czar for Presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, and now counterterrorism advisor to ABC, the film's distorted version of history is inconsistent with the 9/11 Commission Report, upon which it claims to be based. [Think Progress, 9/5/06]

film's writer is a noted conservative activist: The writer of The Path to 9/11 is an unabashed conservative named Cyrus Nowrasteh. Last year, Nowrasteh spoke on a panel titled "Rebels With a Cause: How Conservatives Can Lead Hollywood's Next Paradigm Shift." He has described Michael Moore as "an out of control socialist weasel," and conducted interviews with right-wing websites like FrontPageMag. [Think Progress, 9/1/06]

THE TIMING OF THE PATH TO 9/11 IS TROUBLING GIVEN VITRIOLIC AND IRRESPONSIBLE ADMINISTRATION RHETORIC CONCERNING WAR ON TERROR

Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld Compares War Critics to Nazi Appeasers: Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has compared critics of the Bush administration to Nazi appeasers before World War II, warning that the nation is confronting "a new type of fascism." Speaking at the American Legion convention in Salt Lake City, Utah, Rumsfeld compared the skeptics of the Bush administration's foreign policy critics to American officials who had hoped to negotiate with Adolf Hitler. [Julian E. Barnes, "Rumsfeld Says Critics Appeasing Fascism," LA Times, 8/30/06]

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Equates IRAQ War Critics TO Slavery Supporters: Secretary of State Rice compared the Iraq war with the American Civil War, telling a magazine that slavery might have lasted longer in this country if the North had decided to end the fight early. "I'm sure there are people who thought it was a mistake to fight the Civil War to its end and to insist that the emancipation of slaves would hold," Rice said in the new issue of Essence magazine. [Bill Hutchinson, New York Daily News, "Condi Uses Civil War to Slap Iraq Critics," 9/5/06]

A FAILED HISTORY OF NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY: House Rules Committee RECORD Reveals that Republicans have Repeatedly Refused to Consider Important 9/11 Commission Proposals and Homeland Security Reform Amendments

Numerous common-sense Democratic amendments based on the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission that would have heightened American national security have been blocked by Republican members of the House Rules Committee

Why??? The chance of you seeing things my way is ZERO so post what you got to but don't expect a big flip out flaming over it... Well I take that back, if you get me in the right mood, I'll flame away... I'm pretty emotionally dead right now... Steve's passing has me pretty fucked up so I'm not in a big flip out debate mood. Maybe later...

Why??? The chance of you seeing things my way is ZERO so post what you got to but don't expect a big flip out flaming over it... Well I take that back, if you get me in the right mood, I'll flame away... I'm pretty emotionally dead right now... Steve's passing has me pretty fucked up so I'm not in a big flip out debate mood. Maybe later...